


Cupcakes and Catastrophes

by AniPendragon



Series: Interlocking Existence [6]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-16
Updated: 2015-08-16
Packaged: 2018-04-14 23:18:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4583934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AniPendragon/pseuds/AniPendragon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A few days before their first mission, Ruby meets up with Penny in Vale to get cupcakes, beat up muggers, and talk about the future.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cupcakes and Catastrophes

Ruby tapped her foot against the wall of the building, glancing up and down the street again. Penny was late. While people being late wasn't usually such a big deal, Penny being late was cause for alarm. Had she not been allowed out? Had her guards insisted on following her?

Penny had told her guards she was friends with team RWBY after the dance, if only because Ruby had slipped up and hugged her that night. It had all worked out, but still, Ruby worried that Penny was in trouble for trying to spend time with her.

Ruby stepped off the wall and paced up and down the sidewalk. She gnawed at her already short nails and scrubbed a hand through her hair. She was wearing her city wear, not her usual battle clothes, and already she missed the volume the other skirt gave her. It was easier to fiddle in her combat skirt without being noticed.

After several nail-biting minutes, Ruby heard a familiar cheer from down the street. She turned and spotted Penny, who jogged up to Ruby with a wide grin on her freckled face.

"Hello, Ruby," said Penny. She bounced on her heels, her hands clasped behind her.

Ruby smiled back. "Hey, Penny," she said. "I was worried you were in trouble."

"Oh no," said Penny. "But my father wanted to talk to me. That's why I'm late." Her expression fell. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine," said Ruby. She gestured down the street. "Come on, I wanted to show you that new cupcake shop… do you eat?" The moment the words were out of her mouth, Ruby knew she'd said something insensitive. She cringed, wanting to take them back.

Penny giggled. "I can," she said. "Though I don't have to."

"Huh," said Ruby.

The two headed down the street to the cupcake shop. It was tucked between a book shop and a weapon smith – Ruby made note to visit both later, Blake could use a new book and Ruby was always looking for fellow weapon enthusiasts.

The front of the shop was decorated to look like multiple cupcakes, all with different kinds of icing. There was one with a cute Beowulf design. Another with lots of tiny roses. A third with a chocolate swirl design that made Ruby's stomach growl. Looking at the shop, Ruby licked her lips. She grabbed Penny's arms and tugged her into the store just behind Ruby.

Inside, the smell of the shop completely overpowered anything else. Chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, butter cream. The smells were strong enough that Ruby could practically see them drifting in the air. The taste of cocoa and fresh baked goods lingered on her tongue. And the sounds – people mixed with baking mixed with the ringing up of customers – filled her ears.

Ruby turned toward Penny and grinned, and Penny grinned back. Both of them darted toward the display case, their hands plastering to the glass and their eyes wide with awe and wonder. Ruby chanced a glance at Penny and saw her friend's eyes just as brilliant as her own.

"Cool, isn't it?" asked Ruby.

Penny nodded. "How are such things possible?"

Ruby giggled and tugged Penny toward the cash register. "Bakers are amazing," said Ruby. "But these guys are _artists_." She stopped in front of the register and grinned. "Come on, let's order something."

Penny and Ruby both studied the displays for a few more moments – long enough for a short, mildly impatient line to form behind them.

"Double chocolate with the rose icing and the mousse," said Ruby, pointing to a cupcake covered in tiny roses.

"I would like the strawberry with butter cream, please," said Penny. The cashier handed them the cupcakes and their change and gestured for the next person.

Penny and Ruby ducked outside to enjoy their cupcakes. Ruby relished in licking off the icing around the edge before slowly peeling back the cupcake wrapper. The centre of the cupcake was a thick chocolate mousse, turning a double chocolate cupcake into a triple chocolate. It was, in a word, _heavenly._

There were a few minutes where the two girls said nothing to one another and simply enjoyed their cupcakes. They found a bench beneath some trees and licked the icing from their fingers.

Eventually, Ruby found the silence stifling, and spoke, "Penny? Can I ask you something?"

Penny tossed her wrapper into the garbage can next to her and turned toward Ruby. "Of course, Ruby. Anything."

"I know we haven't been friends for long…," started Ruby. She pressed her lips together. "But." She sighed.

"But what?" asked Penny.

"Do you think I'm a bad friend?"

Penny gasped. "Oh Ruby, of course not," said Penny. "You're a wonderful friend and very understanding."

Ruby folded her arms and let her shoulders slump. "I'm not sure, Penny."

"Why not?"

"All my friends are upset and none of them want to talk to me about it. And I think my sister is in trouble and I know Team JNPR is being all quiet." Ruby stood, scrubbing her hands over her face. "And I can't help thinking that I'm supposed to help. I'm the leader of our team and I can't do _anything."_ Ruby groaned in frustration.

"I just want to hit something," she confessed.

"Will they do?" asked Penny, pointing down the street.

Ruby turned and saw a group of men harassing several citizens of Vale. Some grabbed at purses, one was brandishing a gun, and a third was shoving at several kids. Ruby grinned and extended Crescent Rose.

"Yup," she said. "Come on Penny!"

The two took off down the street toward the men.

The fight was fast and brutal. Flashes of Crescent Rose cutting through clothing and weapons that were interrupted by the puppeteering of Penny. She tossed her strings over the men to line them up for Ruby. In less than a minute, all three men were down and the purses returned.

On the streets, several people applauded.

The woman they handed the purse back to smiled and said, "Thank you, so much. Huntresses like you are why I love Beacon Academy. You're true heroes."

Ruby rubbed the back of her neck, flushing all the way to her ears. "It's nothing," she said. Then to Penny, "We should get going."

As the two walked down the street, Penny spoke again. "Do you feel better now?" she asked Ruby.

The other huntress was silent for several long minutes. She thought of her friends – of Blake and her fear, of Weiss and her frustration, and of Yang who was somewhere between infuriated and exhausted. She thought of Neptune, who seemed morose as of late. Of Pyrrha, whose patience seem to have hit a limit.

She thought of the field trip that was coming. She thought of her first mission with her friends.

"I don't know," confessed Ruby. "I just don't know, Penny."

Penny frowned. "Would you like to know what I think?"

"Please," said Ruby.

"I think the best thing you can do is set an example," said Penny. "I think you need to be cheerful and stand by your friends and not let them get you down. I think so long as you're happy and trying your best, they'll start to act like that too." Penny's expression fell. "I think you need to take care of yourself too, Ruby. Because if you get sick or hurt, what's your team going to do without you?"

Ruby was silent again, letting Penny's words wash over her with the breeze. She was right. If Ruby let herself get down because of her friends, then her friends wouldn't be happier any faster. Maybe they'd even stay upset longer, because they didn't have a positive, happy influence in their lives.

"Okay," said Ruby.

"Okay?" echoed Penny.

Ruby turned toward Penny. "I'm going to be positive and happy for them. I'm not going to let them down." She hugged Penny tightly, not even bothered when Penny's strong arms choked half the air from her lungs in return. "Thank you, Penny."

"You are most welcome, Ruby."

Ruby pulled back and grinned at Penny. "Now, let's go find some more muggers to beat up."

"Hurrah!" said Penny. The two girls ran off down the street together, laughing.


End file.
